Door latch



C. MUNZNER.

DOOR LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17' 1920.

1,416,495, Patented May16,1922.

CHARLES IVIUNZNER, 0E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, TO AMERICAN STOVE COM- IPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, ZVZISSOURI, A CORPOELATIO'N OF NEW JERSEY.

DOOR LATCH.

I Specification of Letters IEatent.

Patented May 16, 192-26 Application filed December 17, 1920. Serial No. 431,358.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES MUNZNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Latches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in door latches and more particularly to spring latches as applied to stove doors, the invention being shown and described as applied to a door of this character.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a latch which will hold a door in a closed position against ordinary strains and jars, but will readily release when the door handle or knob is pulled to open the door. I

Another object of my improvement is to provide a latch which is simple of construction and cheap of manufacture.

A. still further object is to provide an improved latch which can be easily applied to a door of almost any construction now in use.

Other and further objects of my improvement will appear in the following description and in which the invention is more specifically described.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front View in elevation of a' stove oven door with my improved latch applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through an oven door and frame with my improved latch applied thereto, the latch being also shown in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view'in front'eleration of my improved latch.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional" view through the oven door and frame with a modified form of my improvedlatch applied thereto, the latch being also shown in section.

Referring now to the drawings in which similar numerals designate like parts, 1 represents the outer front edge or frame of a stove oven upon which is mounted the oven door 2 by means of the hinges 3, and is pro vided with a door-handle 4.

The door is shown as a lay down or vertical swinging type, but it will be readily understood that the door forms no part of the invention and that my invention is not limited to the application to doors of this type only.

In the preferred form and as here shown, thela'tch is mounted upon the top edge of the door and oven and directly in front of the door handle, this form being preferred as being of the best appearance and the latch here receiving a direct pull when force is applied to the door handle.

The latch consists of a flat spring 5, the upper end of whichis bent back upon itself to form at), as at 6, this U resting upon the top edge 8 of the door, while the other end 7 thereof, is of a shape to conform with the edge 8 of the door.

A clip or plate 9 is provided to hold the spring 5 in place and is fastened to the door by suitable means such as the bolt 10;

To the edge 1 of the stove oven a catch 11 is fastened by suitable means such as the bolt 12, Fig. 2, or the same may be made lntegral with the oven frame as shown at 11 in Fig. 4. This catch 11 conforms snugly to the face of the oven edge and has an outwardly and downwardly projecting end 13, which is above the top edge of the door and the U-shaped end 6 of the latch spring engages the inner concave face 14 thereof when the door is in a closed position.

It will be readily seen that the tension of the spring against the catch will hold the door in a closed position and that the catch will readily release when a pull is put upon the door handle.

To provide against any possibility of the spring buckling againstthe catch and thus refusing to release, I have bent the end 15 of the U 6 downwardly so that it will more easily disengage the catch.

- Attention is also called to the fact that due to the position assured by the catch 11, or 11, a spring chamber 16 is formed when the door is closed' and that nothing protrudes beyond the outer end of the catch, which can catch or tear the fingers or garments of a person operating the door.

It will be further noted that the end 7 of the spring is notched, as at 17, through which the bolt 10 passes, and that the clip 9 is wider than the spring 5 and is notched as at 18, to permit the passage of the spring and the free action of the U-shaped end thereof upon the top edge 8 of the door.

This construction further permits of a vertical movement of the spring 5, when desired, to adjust the tension of the spring against the catch.

It will, of course, be understood that the construction of the device may be modified to a considerable extent without departing outwardly extending catch having an inner concaved face and a downwardly extending end, and the U-shaped end of the spring adapted to compress beneath and lie within the catch, for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a door and frame, the door carrying a flat spring having a U-shaped end, a clip for holding the spring upon the door, the clip embracing one end of the spring and provided with. a cut-out portion to allow the free movement of the U-ed end of the spring, and a catch having an inner concaved face and a downwardly extending end positioned on the frame to engage the U-shaped end of the spring and compress and embrace the same for the purpose described.

3. The combination of a door and frame, a flat spring having a U-shaped end, the spring held in place upon the door by a clip provided with a notched end to allow a free movement of the spring U, the notched end of the clip and the U-shaped end of the spring being positioned on the upper edge of the door, and a frame provided with a latch having an outwardly extending end and an inner concaved face adapted to receive and embrace the U-shaped end of the spring, for the purpose described.

4. The combination of a door and frame, the door provided with a flat spring bent to conform to the contour of the door face and having the U-shaped end lying upon the upper edge of the door, a clip embracing the end-0f the spring and having a cut-- out portion through which the U-shaped end of the spring projects, the clip and spring fastened to the door, and the frame provided with a clip having an outwardly extending end beyond the upper edge of the door and adapted to receive and embrace the U-shaped end of the spring, forthe purpose described.

5. The combination of a door and frame, one member carrying a flat spring having one end bent into a U, a clip adapted to hold the spring in operative position, the other member carrying a catch having an extending end with an inner concave face, and the U-shaped end of the spring in spring tension with the inner face of the catch, for the purpose described.

6. The combination of a door and frame lying in planes at right angles to each other, the door carrying a spring having a U shaped end, the Ued end of the spring parallel to the top of the door, the frame carrying a catch at right angles to itself and in separated relation to the door top, and the Med end of the spring and door top adapted to lie beneath the catch, whereby the spring is in engagement with the catch.

7. The combination of a door and frame, the door carrying a spring having a U- shaped end, the frame having a catch in a plane at right angles to itself and in separated relation to the door, and the U bend extending inwardly into the space between the door and the catch and the free end of the U in spring engagement with the catch, for the purpose described.

8. A door provided with a spring having a U-shaped end, the Ued end of the spring lying parallel with the top of the door, a catch positioned in separated relation to the door, and the U bend of the spring adapted to enter the space between the door and the catch for the purpose described.

9. The combination of a door and a frame, the door provided with a spring upon its top, the spring having a U-shaped end, the frame at right angles to the door top and provided with a catch positioned in separated relation to the door, and the U bend of the spring adapted to enter the space between the door and the catch. and have its free end in spring engagement with the inner face of the catch for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES MU NZNER. 

